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Show ducting its missionary business and considers that much of the present spirit of co-operation and world outlook is due to those big-hearted, far-visioned women who in the early days planned this harmonious working together of Home and Foreign Boards. In 1896, a new impetus w^as given through the election to the presidency of Mrs. W. H. Scudder of Tacoma, who had come from New York fresh from the W. B. M. with its many activities. At this time Mrs. W. R. Andrus and Mrs. A. M. Avery of Tacoma were active in the work as were Mrs. E. K. Hill of Seattle and Mrs. R. W. Rockwell of Auburn. The Board met alternately in Seattle and Tacoma, at the homes of its members. Mrs. W. C. Scudder, and Mrs. J. A. Freiday, returned missionary from India, followed as Branch presidents. Certain local conditions present peculiar difficulties to the work of the Branch. Washington is really a home missionary state, and the churches in the young cities of Seattle and Tacoma have been busy trying to meet the needs of the flood of new comers to the Puget Sound region. We have 65 women's societies which contribute to the women's apportionment. We think we have cultivated the Young People's Societies and the Sunday Schools rather more definitely than some states have, and while our financial returns are not large we hope that in years to come there will be a great increase. OREGON BRANCH After five years of working together as the Washington-Oregon Territory Branch, separate organizations were formed for each state. The Oregon Branch began in 1889 with three auxiliaries and now has twenty-five. There are fifty-seven Congregational Churches in the State but only four are self-supporting. The difficulties of a State with large unchurched areas, a small constituency and little wealth are serious. Strong co-operative effort is confined mainly to city groups. The untiring devotion of officers who for years have given generously of their time and strength, has kept alive the missionary spirit in auxiliaries that otherwise would not have realized the ever-widening fields of foreign missions. The personal con- [ 33 ] , |